Automatic shell-tongs.



E; E. LOFLIN.

AUTOMATIC SHELL TONGS.

APPucAnoN FILED ocr. s. 191s.

A nok/frs v E. E. LOFLIN.

AUTOMATIC SHELL TONGS.

APPLICATION man ocr. 3. 191s.

EDDIE ESTELLE LOFLIN, OF FOXWORTI-I, MISSISSIPPI,

AUTOMATIC SHELL-TONGS.

Application led ctober 3, 1916.

i 16 ing shells and the like.

The prime object of the invention is to provide a device of the indicated character in which are provided pivoted tong sections or grabs, and means to cock or set the grabs in open position, together with means to cause the automatic release of the grabs when the tongs are lowered to the bed of the stream or other body of water.

Other objects of the invention as well as the nature and advantages of the preferred means for carrying out the invention will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specilication in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of a shell tongs embodying my invention, showing the grabs closed;

Fig. 2 is a face view, that is, at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view, showing the grabs cocked in the open position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the grab-setting means retracted after the cooking of the grabs;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one ofthe grabs,

parts being broken away;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 7-7, Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the setting lever duplicated so that the grabs may be set by two men.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a handle 10 is provided of a suitable length for the lowering and raising of the grabs. To the lower end of the same, grabs or jaws 11 are connected.

The grabs 11 include series of floating ngers 12, that is to say, ngers presenting Each end of a grab 11 is in the form of a frame 13 presenting Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1917.

Serial No. 123,481.

parallel bars 141 integral at both ends with the frame 13 and spaced to present openwork ends. The adjacent lingers 16 of the grab on the frames 13 are integral at one end with said frames and free at their opposite ends from the adjacent members 16 of the frames. Thus, the ngers 16 may yield should a shell be grabbed between the same and the crushing of the shell will be prevented.

The connection between the grabs 11 and the handle 10 is effected through the medium of plate springs 17, the lower ends of which are flattened as at 18 and receive a bolt 19, which also passes through an ear or lug 20 on the grab 11. The connecting means be* tween each grab and the handle is the same so that the description of one will answer for both. The upper ends of the springs 17 are shackeled to the handle 10 in the present example by pairs of transverse bolts 21 and bar washers 21a. As the plate springs 17, particularly at their connection with the grabs 11, are desirably very resilient, the springs are reinforced for the greater part of their length by additional leaves 17at applied to the same, the additional springs being free at their lower ends and clamped at their upper ends by the bolts 21 and washers 21a.V

On each grab 11 at the center is a tong 22, the tong being offset as at 23 to extend at the sides of a plunger 26. The terminals 24- of the offset ends 23 of the tongs are flattened and receive a bolt or pin 25 which pivotally secures the tongs to the said plunger. The lower end of the plunger 26 is formed with a broad head 27 to contact with the bed of the river or the like.

The plunger 26 is adapted to reciprocate in a central slot 28 in the handle 10 and said slot istted with a bushing 29 for taking the wear of the plunger. Integral with the bushing 29 is an end cap or ferrule 30, the side flanges 31 of which are secured to the handle by screws 32 or the like.

For setting and cooking the grabs 11, a hand lever 33 is provided, fulcrumed at its lower end on the handle 10 by a bolt 34; which preferably passes through a transverse bushing 35 of the handle. and is provided with a wear plate 36 adjacent to the lever 33.

A reciprocating bar 37 is pivoted at its lupper end as at 38 to the hand lever 33 be tween the fulcrum and free end of said le? yver and preferably, adjacent to the fulcrum bolt 34. At the lower end the reciprocating bar 37 is formed with a transverse arm 39 which extends freely through a longitudinal slot 40 in the plunger 26.

With the described arrangement when the hand lever 33 is thrown from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 4, the arm 39 of the bar 37 will` be carried downwardly against the plunger 26 at the lower end of the slot 40? and thereby the plunger 2G will be moved forwardly or depressed, thereby carryingA the pivotal connection 25 of the grabsdownwardly. This will cause the grabs to rock on their pivot bolts 19 and the leaf springs 17, 17a will be liexed outwardly. rPhe movement continuesuntil the grabs are cocked by the pivot 25 moving below the pivots 19.*`

VLatchmeans is provided for the plunger 26,`there being a'resilient dog 42 mounted on the handle 10 adjacent to the lower endv and adapted to engage innotches 43 on the plunger 26. The dog42 extends laterally from a cam member'44 whichis adapted to be engaged byl a cam surface 45 on the reciprocatbar 37. In the downward movement of the bar 37 before the' arm 39A thereof contacts with the lowerend of the slot 40, the cam 'member 44 by its engagement with the cam surface45 will disengage the latchv 42 from the lowernotch' 43 and permit the plunger 26 to Vmove downwardly. After the grabs have been. cocked as in Fig. 5 the hand lever 33. 'is restored to its upper position, the arm 39 moving freely'in rthe slot 40. In the upward'movement of the bar 37 after the cam 451has passed the cam 44,.'the dog V42 is permitted to spring into engagement ,with the uppermost notch V43. When now the tongs are lowered the plunger head 27 contacting with the bed of the river will force the plunger upwardly, the latch 42 slipping over the notches 43 which are formed by ratchet teeth. The upward movement of the plunger' 26 wi'll carry the pivot 25 above the pivots 19 and permit the leaf springs to close the grabs. On the lugs 20 of the grabs, stops 41 arevformed to engagethe springs 17 to limit the opening movement ofthe grabs. Any undue pressure of the grabs against the river bed` will be prevented from again cocking the grabs because of the engagement of the latch 424withV the lowermost notch 43.

The movements of the bar 37 are guided by a keeper k46 Ysuitably secur'edto the hand le 1Q. Similarly, aV latch keeper 47 is provided for the hand lever 33. In'the form illustrated iniFig.V 3, I provide twofhand levers 33, this being designed for a tongs of the'heavy type controlled by two men and hoisted by a gas engine or the like. In' Fig.` 8, in addition to the lever 33, thereis a similar lever'33n secured by a bolt 34a atthe opposite side of the handle. The

. connected with the respective handles are provided, there being a transverse arm 39 integral with one bar 37a and receiving the opposite arm 37 on its threaded end 39" which is provided with a nut 39C. Only one bar 37 has the cam 45n to engage the cam 44 of the latch. IThe keeper 46a in this instance is given a form to engage both the bars 37.

I wish to state in conclusion that althoughy the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention1 I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details hereinV illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letlers Patent:

1. In tongs of the class described, a handle, grabs pivot-ally mounted on lhe handle, spring means tending to close the grabs, a plunger slidable on the handle between the grabs, manually controlled means to move the plunger to a forward position beyond the front of the open grabs to contact with the bed being worked, members on the grabs and connected with the plunger to be moved forward by the latter to lock the grabs in the open position, said last-mentioned means being releasable by a rearward movement of the plunger after contact of the latter with the bed, said plunger, when the grabs are released, being movable by the closing grabs to the rearward position.

2. In tongs of the class described, a han dle, spring arms secured to said handle, grabs pivotally mounted on the free ends of the spring arms, a plunger slidable on the handle and pivotally connected with the grabs, means on the'handle to slide said vplunger forwardly to open the grabs and dispose the pivotal connection of'the plunger in advance of the pivotal connections between the grabs and spring arms, said plunger in the forward position being adapted to contact with the working bed when the tongs are lowered and be pressed rearwardly to a position to permit the spring arms to close the grabs.

3. In tongs of the class described, a handle, grabs, springs on the handle and pivotally connected with the grabs, a plunger longitudinally movable on the handle and connected with the grabs, manually operable means to'move the plunger forwardly to open the grabs and place the springs under tension, said plunger when the tongs are lowered being movable to a rearward position by Contact with the bed being operated upon, whereby to permit closure of the grabs bythe springs, and latch means engageable with the plunger and yieldable to rearward pressure on the plunger when contacting with the bed.

Ll. In tongs of the class described, a handle, grabs, springs on the handle carrying said grabs and pivotally mounting the latter, a. plunger slidable on the handle and pivotally connected with the grabs, a hand lever on the handle, and means movable by the lever into engagement with the plunger to move the same forwardly to position its connection with the grabs in advance of the connection between the grabs and their carrying springs.

5. In tongs of the class described, a handle, pivoted grabs, leaf springs carrying the grabs and pivotally connected therewith, a plunger slidable on the handle and pivotally connected with the grabs, latch means for the plunger, a hand lever, and a bar movab-le by the lever to disengage the latch means and move the plunger forwardly to position its connection with the grabs in advance of the connection between the grabs and their carrying springs. l

6. In tongs of the class described, a handle, pivoted grabs, leaf springs carrying the grabs and pivotally connected therewith, a plunger slidable on the handle and pivotally connected with the grabs, latch means for the plunger, a hand lever, and a bar Inovable by the lever to disengage the latch means and move the plunger forwardly to position its connection with the grabs in ad- Y Vance of the connection between the grabs and their carrying springs, the said bar being adapted to move rearwardly with the lever independently of the plunger to free the latch means.

7. In tongs of the class described, a handle, springs secured to the said handle and extending forwardly, grabs pivotally carried by the forward ends of said springs, said springs tending to. close the grabs, rigid arms on the grabs beyond the pivotal connections with the springs, manually controlled means acting on the said rigid arms to open the grabs and lock the same against tension of the springs, and means to automatically release the grabs and permit the closing means to act when the tongs are lowered against the bed being operated upon.

8. Tongs of the class described, including a handle, grabs, springs carrying the grabs and pivotally connected therewith, a longi tudinally slotted plunger slidable on the handle, said plunger being formed with catch teeth, a resilient latch e'ngageable with said teeth, a hand lever fulcrumed on the handle, a bar connected with the lever and having a transverse arm extending through the slot of the plunger to be engaged with the plunger by a forward throw of the lever, and adapted to return independently of the plunger by a rearward throw of the lever, the said bar having a cam surface engageable with the latch in the forward movement of the lever to disengage the same from the teeth on the plunger.

EDDIE ESTELLE LOFLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the vCommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

